The Birth Crisis of Democracy: The New United States of America, 1776-1850

"Go get yourself some democracy!" Americans have so often preached to other nations, but just how did Americans themselves go about creating the world's largest and most successful democratic republic? How democratic was this violent new nation that reeled from one crisis to another and ultimately to the brink of collapse in its first 75 years? This survey of American history from the creation of the Republic to the eve of the Civil War explores the Revolution and its ambiguous legacies, the starkly paradoxical "marriage" of slavery and freedom, and the creation of much of the America that we know; mass political parties; a powerful presidency; sustained capitalist growth; individualistic creeds; formalized and folkloric racism; heteronormative patriarchal family life; technological innovation; literary experimentation; distinctively American legal, scientific and religious cultures; and the modern movements of labor, feminism, and African-American empowerment. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. Modern, U.S.
Course Attributes: EN H; BU Hum; BU IS; AS HUM; FA HUM; UC HSP; UC HUS

The Birth Crisis of Democracy: The New United States of America, 1776-1850

HISTORY 365

Section 01